58 AIRFIELD LIGHTING October 2026 AirportImprovement.com MGM General Precision Approach, a Georgia-based company that focuses solely on construction related to airport lighting and navigational aids, is the general contractor for Phase 2. Its crews and subcontractors are rewiring almost all of MGM’s airfield with copper cabling and installing new LED lighting and signs. Only the shorter secondary runway and parallel taxiway will retain quartz lights and signs. They will be connected to the new vault during Phase 2, but are slated for conversion to LEDs in the next few years. In addition to removing the old quartz and incandescent lights, crews are also removing the associated underground wiring. Over the years, multiple modifications to the previous lighting system had created a spider web of underground cabling. Many lines were long abandoned in-place, leading to issues when crews discovered them during airfield construction and maintenance. When encountered, lines had to be treated as live, which caused delays and operational impacts. FAA personnel originally suggested leaving old lines underground as a cost-saving measure, but the project team felt it was important to create a clean slate to avoid confusion during future projects. Ultimately, FAA agreed. Jeff Green, owner of General Precision Approach, says the most challenging aspect of the ongoing work at MGM is working in five- hour overnight shifts to keep the airfield’s sole commercial runway available for traffic during the day. (The 4,011-foot secondary runway is only long enough for general aviation aircraft.) Phase 2 will also include the installation of a backup generator to power the entire airfield in case of an electrical outage. Looking Forward to the End The decision to install a prefabricated electrical vault was made by the Airport Authority and Jenkins’ predecessor, Wade Davis. At that time, Jenkins was police chief for the airport; but he was named interim executive director in May 2025 and “interim” was removed from his title one year later. When the time comes, Jenkins may be happiest of all to decommission the airfield’s current electrical vault, which is located “deep in the bowels” of the airport terminal and shares space with HVAC and other mechanical equipment. The vault’s cramped quarters and awkward layout make it a nightmare to repair or replace equipment, he explains. Thomason notes that the vault includes room to expand electrical equipment. “We took care to make sure the building suits them for 50-plus years,” he remarks. “However, if expansion was needed after this, another module could be added to the structure as needed.” Despite challenging timetables, both general contractors credit detailed planning by MGM leadership and Goodwyn Mills Cawood for helping them stay on schedule. “It’s neat to be able to say this is the first one of its kind in the U.S. and to do something you’ve never done before,” Hutcheson remarks. “It takes a big effort from the owner to the design team to the contractors and subcontractors. If you didn’t have the right people, it could have been disastrous.” Although prefabricated airfield vaults are not a well-known option in the U.S., Thomason hopes the success at MGM will encourage other airports to consider them. EMC | Electrical | Environmental | Mechanical | Photometrics Contact: Brad DeGrave brad.degrave@elitetest.com 1-630-495-9770 www.elitetest.com Elite Electronic Engineering Inc. Your Trusted Partner for Qualification Testing and Certification Required by FAA AC 150/5345-53D ISO 17025 Accredited Laboratory Testing FAA ACs, ICAO Annex 14, Canada TP312, and CAR 621 Flexible Scheduling and Collaborative Service AIRPORT LIGHTING EQUIPMENT FAA Third-Party Certification Body The new vault contains constant current regulators, emergency power connections and other key components for airfield lighting.
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